“Leather. Maybe a cloak. Definitely boots,” she says dreamily. “Liz, make a note. Even if she isn’t formidable yet, she should at least appear like she knows how to defend herself.”
Archie climbs into my lap, as if to anchor me in place before I bolt. “Breathe, Ro. It’s going to be fine.”
“Uh-huh,” I mutter, staring into the swirls on top of my drink, like they might give me a real escape plan.
But the truth is, between Iris’s ‘doom, but make it stylish’ energy, Cade’s unblinking intensity, and whatever this traitorous humming under my skin is, I’m not sure which is scarier.
Staying or leaving.
Liz places a warm hand over mine from across the table. “I know last night was a lot. How about we go over what’s happened, and you can ask any questions you still have once we’re done?”
I nod, keeping my mouth shut for once.
She gestures toward Iris first. “You were lured here by your grandmother to sign papers she could’ve just mailed.”
I like Liz more and more by the second. Pretty suremy mom would’ve liked her, too. If I have to be stuck here, at least there’s one person in this house who seems to be on my side, and doesn’t come with either ulterior motives or a rage problem.
Liz continues, talking like we’re just ticking boxes on a grocery list. “Then, you were blown up, followed by the arrival of Cade, your mate, if you choose him to be.”
That has my spine snapping straight. “I have a choice?”
Heat covers my skin, and I avoid looking at Cade because I canfeelhis stare like sunlight through a magnifying glass. Maybe I should’ve waited to ask that when he wasn’t in the room, but this is the first glimmer of hope I’ve had that I might have some say in what happens to me.
“All wolf shifters have a choice in their mate,” Liz explains, calm and matter-of-fact-like. “Fate may pick the person who will elevate your life in ways you’re likely not to understand until it happens, but if that’s not the path you want, you don’t have to accept it.”
She makes it sound simple. Too simple even. My brain tries to hold on to her words, but deep inside, that strange, wild presence from last night stirs, and she’spissed.
A growl bubbles up from my chest before I can stop the sound from spilling into the room, low and rough, and my cheeks go hot.
Fantastic. I might think I have control, but apparently the wolf squatting in my body didn’t get the memo about keeping quiet.
Iris chooses that moment to cut in. “Then there’s thematter of the prophecy and the people who want you dead. I’ll be honest, Rowan, I didn’t believe it was true. I thought you’d be safe here. We haven’t had a supernatural death at NightShade in over a century.” Her eyes flick to Cade, and her mouth tightens. “But he’s proved me wrong.”
My stomach knots. “What does that mean?”
“Someone was here last night,” Cade says, voice rough, eyes still pinned on me. “I ran them off, but more will come. And if they’re showing up without a reservation…” His gaze sharpens, “…they’re not here to sightsee.”
I mutter under my breath, “Maybe if they’d all just leave me alone, I wouldn’t end up wanting to destroy them all.”
Iris chuckles like I’ve just told her the punchline of a joke she’s been waiting years to hear. “Biscuits to balls, that’s what I said! Don’t worry, Rowan. We’ll keep you safe.”
I stare at her. “Biscuits to…what?”
She waves it off like it’s a perfectly normal conversation. “You’re a wolf shifter now. Cade’s going to teach you how to connect with your inner beast. Liz will teach you to fight—properly, not that running away you tried to do last night. And when you’re not busy, I’ll tell you about our history and why your presence here matters, no matter how many people think you’re a threat.”
Right. And I’m sure all that “history” won’t be dripping with objectivity, either.
So, if I’m understanding all this correctly…
I have a man who looks at me like he can’t decide whether to kiss me or strangle me—jury’s still out on whether that’s a bad thing.
I have a grandmother who’s one part power-hungry, one part cryptic fortune cookie, and one part stand-up comedy act for the deranged.
There’s an unknown amount of people who want me dead just for being born.
Lastly, I have Liz, who works for Iris, but at least pretends to be on my side—though she doesn’t seem to have much real power here.
Yeah. I’m totally going to die.
